National School Sports Week 2025 has been one of our most inspiring yet. I am so proud to have seen such energy, creativity and dedication shown by schools, families and organisations across the country in championing the power of being Always Active.

This year, an incredible 2,183 schools, 193 families and 131 organisations signed up to take part. From parks and playgrounds to classrooms and school playing fields, children and young people embraced movement in fun, inclusive and imaginative ways.

We were delighted to see media coverage in the run up to and during the week itself, with reporters from BBC Radio Wales, The Mirror and Sky News FYI shining a spotlight on why movement matters more than ever for young people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Our social media was buzzing with activity too, as hundreds of schools tagged us to share their creative ways of getting children moving, including lively assemblies, daily mile challenges, dance breaks and active breakfast clubs. It was fantastic to see the Always Active Uniform spirit come to life, with schools proving that when clothing is comfortable, moving more during the school day becomes second nature.

As a team, we were also able to visit some of the schools bringing National School Sports Week to life in remarkable ways:

Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland demonstrated the success of their Always Active Uniform in creating a happy, healthy and close-knit community that puts activity at the heart of education. Children of all ages tried their hand at a variety of sports, led by their amazing Girls Active leaders.

At Harbinger Primary School in London, we saw their Early Years Healthy Movers in action and the pure joy on pupils’ faces as they took part in physical activity with such energy and excitement was infectious. We’re thrilled to be working with Harbinger and Under Armour on an Always Active Uniform pilot this autumn, and we were lucky enough to be joined by Tottenham Hotspurs defender, Ashley Phillips, who hand delivered the uniform to the school. Stay tuned to see how they get on in September!

Orchard Manor School in Devon, a Youth Sport Trust Lead Inclusion School, is a shining example of the importance of inclusive sport. The school’s transformation in recent years has made a life-changing difference to its students with SEND, and during National School Sports Week staff designed tailored, accessible activities that enabled every child to take part, achieve their personal best and feel the joy of being active.

Tredegarville Primary School in Cardiff kicked off the day with an active assembly that set a positive tone, followed by a carousel of different sports, giving every child the chance to try something new. Demonstrating their unique approach to school sport of 30 minutes of outdoor fitness a day, they also led a lively outdoor fitness session that got everyone moving together in the sunshine.

Torriano Primary School in London welcomed us on Friday with a gymnastics showcase to rival that of the Olympics, with a pummel horse, cartwheels and even a human pyramid! The athletes in attendance, Montell Douglas, Shaunagh Brown, Alistair Patrick-Heselton, were also met with their mini-me’s in true Sports Star Friday style. As a school that encourages activewear throughout the year, it was easy to see the effects of that as the pupils dove into a carousel of sports, from obstacle courses to archery and wheelchair basketball.

Inspiring the Next Generation
Across all our event schools, children had the chance to meet and learn from some fantastic athlete mentors, including Montell Douglas, Shaunagh Brown, Alistair Patrick-Heselton, Tom Haffield, Rachael Mackenzie, Kate Ager and Michael Gunning. Their stories of resilience and dedication truly captured young imaginations and inspired a flurry of thoughtful questions — from ‘How do you deal with losing?’ to ‘What did you want to be when you were my age?’ and, naturally, ‘Can I race you?’. It was wonderful to see pupils’ curiosity encouraged and to hear athletes remind them that hard work and determination open doors and that no one should ever tell them they cannot take part in sport.

As well as activities throughout the week being led by the schools’ own students, we were also joined by brilliant young ambassadors, young leaders and members of our Youth Board. Empowering young people to shape and champion sport is at the heart of our mission and seeing it happening first-hand and in full force this week has highlighted just how impactful that can be.

But most of all, the week’s true success lies in the memories made, the smiles seen and the knowledge that so many children have felt the joy of being active and hopefully will carry it with them long after this week.

A huge thank you to Sports Direct and Under Armour for making this event possible, as well as every school, family and partner who helped make National School Sports Week 2025 so special. Together, we are making a real difference, one active moment at a time.